Employers must authorize and permit uninterrupted rest breaks for all nonexempt employees whose total daily work time is at least 3.5 hours. If you work over 5 hours in a day, you are entitled to a meal break of at least 30 minutes that must start before the end of the fifth hour of your shift.The rest period is based on the total hours worked daily and must be at the minimum rate of a net ten consecutive minutes for each four hour work period. California law allows employees to waive (agree not to take it or receive any penalty pay for missing it) meal breaks for shifts of 6 hours or less. If an employee works 10 hours in a day or more, the employer must provide two meal breaks of at least 30 minutes each. If you have worked less than 6 hours in a day, you can agree to forego your meal break. You can also agree to take your meal break while on duty. Under California Labor Law, employers must allow employees working in California to take a 30-minute meal break for every 5 hours of work. Under CA law, meal breaks are uninterrupted, unpaid 30minute breaks to which every employee is legally entitled. Unlike federal laws, employment laws in California require employers to provide nonexempt workers with paid and unpaid breaks for most shifts.